About Me
James Forrest is the Principal of Ambalogic and also the award-winning Web Creative Director of the Peabody Essex Museum, the oldest continuously operating museum in the United States.
With a background in new media design, fine art, and sound design, Jim's work presents new possibilities for the changing experiential landscape online and beyond.
Jim's work has been featured in many articles, presentations, and shows about personalization, bookmarking, cultural exchange, and community outreach. As part of PEM's award winning New Media team, he works to create rich, engaging experiences within varying learning models
and cultures.
Awards
- National Award of Merit from the American Association of State and Local History for ECHOES - A film about Lumberjack History in N.H.. I scored the soundtrack.
- Talking Hands Award - Joseph Cornell: Navigating The Imagination, 2008
- Storefront E-commerce Ubiquity award, 2005
- Macromedia "Site of the day", 2004
- American Association of Museums Muse Awards, Collection Database/
Reference Resource, Honorable Mention, 2004
- Zoomify.com featured project for Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Marblehead Arts Festival–Best in show for Printmaking, 2001
- Presidental Scholar–Salem State College 1999, 2000-01
Publications
Appearances
- New England Museum Association, 2009
Topic-Museum Mapping Projects: Charting a New Course
- South By Southwest Interactive Conference, 2009
Topic-Remixing the Museum Exhibition
- Museums and the Web Presenter, 2008
Topic-Learning from the People: Traditional Knowledge and Educational Standards
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant review board
Topic - Building Digital Resources Panelist
- Museum Computer Network presenter, 2006
Topic-Extending the Visit Beyond the Museum
- Museum Computer Network presenter, 2005
Topic-Innovative Access to Collections on the Web: Connecting the Physical Museum Visit with the Online Collection through Personalization, Handhelds, RFID, and Audio Guides.
- Salem Cyber Space Program presenter, 2005
- Museums and the Web demonstration, 2004
Topic- Peabody Essex Museum's Artscape.
- Salem State College Art Dept. Lecturer, 2002
Designing online experiences.
Shows + Performances
- Lab De Loops, Brooklyn, 2009
- Soundtrack for a "Media Mosaic" at PEM - featured in their exhibit Wedded Bliss: The Marriage of Art & Ceremony, 2008.
- Peabody Essex Museum 2005-06, Owls in Art and Nature , 4-channel sound installation and 2D print
- Boon Gallery 2005, Sound collaboration with fellow musician Nate Douglas
- Movies with Live Soundtracks, Sound and silent film collaboration with filmmaker Shawn Morrissey at the Coolidge Corner Theater, Brookline, MA, 2004
- Gallery of Social & Political Art, Boston 2003, Exhibited 2D prints
- Marblehead Arts Festival 2001, 2005
- Salem State College Alumni Exhibition 2003
- Solo Exhibition–Winfisky Gallery 2001
- Mass Art Film Society, Sound collaboration with Animator Shawn Morrissey
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- La Fete Du Sisk, Exhibited 2D prints
- Berwick Research Institute, Sound collaboration with Animator Shawn Morrissey
- Front Street Coffee Shop, Simple Ordinary Life, a collection of 10 monoprints
- Winfisky Gallery
- Essex Camera Gallery
- Rockport’s First Night, Sound collaboration with Animator Shawn Morrissey
Contact Info
Resume (PDF)

Above: Waking up in Perugia,
Italy 2005. Photograph by
Melanie Salerno
Client List
Bishop Museum-Hawaii
Boon Gallery
Cahill Design
Chrissa Markos Photography
Cook Inlet Tribal Council
Essex Image Vault
Harvard University
Institute of American Indian Arts
Fireheart Communications
Kenaitze Tribe
Leeann Leftwich Zajas Design
Peabody Essex Museum
Salem State College
Salem Theatre Company
Segal Design
Two Spirits Gallery
Jonathan Biss
Boston Conservatory
Gabriel Kahane
Notes from the Underground
Yuja Wang
Alisa Weilerstein
Wu Man
Zitta Zohar
Zumix!
Applied Value International
Brenton Gray Development
Fuddruckers
Structures North Consulting Engineers
Techevolution
TJX
Wedding Window